Pepper flinches at the clatter too, nearly dropping her own plate before Tony relieves her of it. Just the same, she's lost her appetite anyway. Swallowing thickly when Tony's attention returns on her, she opens and closes her mouth several times like a fish caught on land, groping for words that have all seemed to desert her.

"I..." she stammers, flushing again guiltily though it's silly, probably. He kissed her back, surely he must feel this attraction, too? But suppose she can't blame him for his confusion. It's not like they've acknowledged it in any way -- drunken make-outs didn't count. She thinks. Licking her dry lips, she lifts her chin a bit, feeling a small surge of defiance all of the sudden. "Because I felt like it."